News

Following the European Council meeting, the Prime Minister said that this year's discussions had been more substantive than those held four years ago, as preparations for the meetings were of a higher quality and leaders had access to more analytical data. Nevertheless, negotiations on the EU's multiannual budget remain challenging, given the widely differing interests of the Member States.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Janez Janša, together with the leaders of 18 other EU Member States, signed a joint letter addressed to the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, in which the signatories call for more decisive and effective European solutions in the area of migration.

Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. The focus of this year’s event is to highlight the urgent need to combat sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence against children.

The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has launched a new web and mobile eLastovka application for Slovenian nationals travelling abroad. The application allows faster and easier access to key information and significantly more effective notification in case of emergencies or crises.

A development conference of the Savinjsko-šaleška coal region called Forging a New Direction took place on 18 June 2026 in the Logarska dolina valley. The conference brought together representatives of national institutions, local communities, development institutions, business community, education institutions, and civil society to discuss the region’s key development challenges and opportunities and next steps in the just transition process.

Speaking ahead of the European Council meeting in Brussels, Prime Minister Janez Janša said that the positions adopted at the recent G7 summit opened more possibilities to achieve peace in Ukraine. "Any steps that could lead to an end to the fighting and the start of negotiations should be welcomed. As long as weapons do the talking, diplomacy has little power," he emphasised.

Defence ministers from NATO member states met today in Brussels, where they discussed key security challenges facing the alliance and assessed progress in implementing the decisions adopted at the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague. The meeting, which was also attended by the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, Valentin Hajdinjak, M.A., served as preparation for the summit of NATO heads of state and government to be held in Ankara in July.

Slovenian cuisine has once again achieved remarkable international recognition. For the seventh consecutive year, the globally renowned Michelin culinary guide has recognised the best Slovenian restaurants, reaffirming the exceptional quality, sustainable focus and diversity of Slovenia's cuisine. This year's guide recommends 74 restaurants, ten of which have earned a total of 13 Michelin stars.

At today's session, the Government took note of the consolidated balance sheet of the general government budgetary accounts and the state budget. Minister of Finance Andrej Šircelj expressed serious concern about growth in budget expenditure, attributing it to measures introduced during the previous term. Never before has the growth in expenditures during the final year of a term increased as dramatically as it has this time.

Prime Minister Janez Janša and his wife, Urška Bačovnik Janša, attended a ceremony marking the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America. In his speech, the Prime Minister highlighted the historical parallels between the Slovenian and American aspirations for freedom and the importance of common democratic values in a time of geopolitical turbulence.

The Prime Minister of the 16th Government of Slovenia, Janez Janša, presented the key priorities of the new government team during his meeting with the President of the Republic and drew attention to the challenging circumstances in which the Government has taken office. The Prime Minister emphasised that the 16th Slovenian Government is composed predominantly of highly experienced individuals who have already tackled similar challenges.

The Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Development has approved EU funding for the project Advanced Mobile Imaging System for Realtime Diagnostics and Planning. The European Regional Development Fund contribution stands at €6.58 million.

The newly-appointed State Secretary, Tamara Weingerl Požar, participated in the regular General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting in Luxembourg. Ministers and state secretaries focused on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034 and the preparations for the meeting of EU leaders.

Prime Minister Janez Janša today received the new Ambassador of the United States to Slovenia, Asel K. Roberts. During the meeting, Prime Minister Janša and Ambassador Roberts confirmed the traditionally good and friendly relations between the two countries and expressed their willingness to further strengthen cooperation in the political, economic and security spheres.

Minister Tone Kajzer participated in the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Luxembourg for the first time since becoming Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. Ministers discussed Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East and EU-China relations. On the sidelines, Minister Kajzer held multiple bilateral meetings and took part in the Intergovernmental Conference with Montenegro.

Prime Minister Janez Janša met with members of the Fiscal Council and representatives of the Ministry of Finance for a working lunch at Vila Podrožnik.

State Secretary Dr Božo Predalič attended the informal ministerial conference on the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, held on 11 and 12 June 2026, in Nicosia, Cyprus.

The 2026 Day of Nature is dedicated to the restoration of nature, the importance of Natura 2000 sites, the coexistence of humans and nature, and the public involvement in nature conservation processes. State Secretary Peter Lovšin presented the Rado Smerdu Award for outstanding achievements in nature protection to Morigenos, the Slovenian Marine Mammal Society. The Škocjan Caves Park Public Service Agency was presented with a commendation for its acts of nature conservation.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Cohesion and Regional Policy Ivan Meglič took part in the 6th Slovenian Rural Parliament, where he underscored the importance of continuous dialogue with local communities in shaping development policies. The event brought together key stakeholders to discuss the quality of life in rural areas and its importance for balanced development of Slovenia.

Minister for Infrastructure and Energy Jernej Vrtovec visited Žetale today to inspect the consequences of the recent severe storm, which caused extensive damage to transport infrastructure and other public facilities.